Improved furnace for producing- iron direct from the ore



ter.

tite tant WILLIAM GRIFFITH, JR., OF -POTTSVILLETENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JOSEPH S.' PATTERSON, AND'THOMASC. ZULlGK, OF SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 94,306, dated August 3l, 1869.

`IiMPRO'V'HD FURNACE FOR PRODUCING- IRON DIRECT FROM THE ORE.

The Schedule referred .to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

. plane of section beingindicated by the line xx, iig. 3.

Figure 2 is a-vertical transverse section of the same'.

Figure 3 is a plan or'top view, partly in section, of the-same, the plane of section being indicated by the line y y, iig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. v This invention relates to a new furnace for reducing v and producing iron directly from ythe ore, by a continuous operation, and-has, for its object, to reduce the expense of, and to economize fuel and time during the operation. v

The invention consists chiey in arranging a-deoxidizing-chamber above the welding or pnddling-furnace,-said chamber being heated by the gases that escape from the dre in the said furnace. The deoxidizing-chamber contains a number of retorts, in which the ore is exposed to the action of the heat, together lwith anthracite-coal dnst'that is all wasted at present in the anthracite-regions, and other carbonaceous mat- The number of retorts is such that the action canbe divided into three or more terms, so that when theore in one set of retorts is ready tovbe fed into the welding o1' puddling-fnrnace, that in the second set will be about in the middle of the deoxidizingprocess, which, in the third set, will have vbut just commenced.

The invention also consists in the peculiar construction of the retorts, which are made of conical form, and which are moulded ot' clay, so as to be stronger andless thick than the retorts built of tire-brick, heretofore used.

' The invention also consists in putting a steam-generator into the smoke-passage between the retorts, to utilize all surplus heat of the gases of combustion, for the purpose of supplying the lire in the furnace with steam to aid combustion.

The invention finally consists in the arrangement and combination, with the welding-furnace and retortchamber, of a funnel or trough, for guiding-the ore from the retorts into the furnace. The lower ends of the retorts communicate with said funnel, and are closed by sliding or other gates. The lower end of the funnel is closed by a sliding or swinging door, which separates it from the welding-chamber. When the contents of a retort are 'to be transferred to the welding-bed, the lower door of the funnel' is rst opened, andtheu the slide of the desired retort. The

-contents of the retort will then flow through the funnel into the welding-bed, to be there exposed directly vto the gases of the furnace, and to the requisite manipulation. v

A, in the drawing, represents a welding or paddlingfurnace of ordinary or suitable construction, in which (t is the fore chamber, b the welding chamber, c the chimney, and l the cold-air chamber under the welding-bed, all arranged in the well-known, orin any suitable manner.

The chimney c leads from the furnace A into a chamber, B, arranged directly above the furnace, and.- conducts a'll thel products of combustion into the said chamber B. y

In the chamber', which is supported on walls or posts, O, some distance above the furnace n is arranged a series of vertical retorts, l) l), of oval cross-section, as shown.

VThese retorts are made conical, so that they are about three times larger at the lower than they are at the upper ends, and are made of cement, graphite,

or clay, or any other refractory material, moulded into the requisite form.

Retorts for similar purposes were heretofore generally built of fire-brick, which made them thick, and

occupied mnch'room', and at alltimes contained more than one charge. Mine only holds one charge for the furnace, which makes the iron uniform.

My moulded retorts can be made thin, because they are small, compared with other retorts for such purposes, and will thereby not only occupy less room, but will let the heat strike through much quicker, thereby'obf taining quickerv action on the ore.

VThe vupper ends of tlieiretorts are fitted through horizontal plates or ribs, f, formed in the c'hambervB, as shown in fig'. 2.

Their lower ends are closed by means of lsliding or swinging gates E E, one such slide or gate being provided for each retort, as shown in iig. l.

14 is a horizontal metallic cylinder, fitted into the upper part of the chamber lfbetween the ribs f, or otherwise. evaporated by the heat of the gases passing Vthr'ough the chamber B.

The steam thus produced is, in a pipe, g, carried to the fire-chamber of the furnace, to facilitate the combustion.

p The retorts, of which I prefer to have about eigh teen or twenty-fourin the chamber B, .are so placed that they can be entirely enveloped in the gases carried into the chamber through the chimney.

The gases, after having traversed the chamber B, pass oil` through a smoke-stack, G.

. H isan iron or other funnel, interposed between the It is to be'tlled with water, which will be furnace A and chamber B, so that its large open part embraces and communicates with the lower ends of all retorts, while its contracted lower end connects with an opening, h, in the top of the welding-chamber b.

This opening,`h,. can be closed by a suitable gate or slide, I.

The crushed ore to be reduced is put into the rctorts, together with waste anthracite-coal dust, or other equivalent material.v It is then reduced and, more mechanically than' chemically, combined with the dust,.

. When sufficiently deoxidized, the ore is let into the furnace, by opening the gates I and E, and is therein acted on by the gases, to become treated in the desired manner. l

The Welding-chamber llas suitable openings or working-holes.

The retorts arc made conical, so that the ore will' not be clogged in them. A

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l 1. The deoxidizing-chaniber B, containing the retorts D D, when Aarranged above or in connection with a welding-furnace, substantially as described, `so .that the retorts will be heated by the gases ,escaping from thewelding-furnace, as described. Y

2. The retorts D D, when made substantially as described, of conical form, and moulded, as specified.

3. The steam-generator F, when arranged within the deoxidizing-chamber, to supply steam to the firebox, as set forth.

4. Thefunnel H, when arranged in combinationwith the furnace A, havingthc cap or valve I, and with' the 1etorts-l),haviug the movable bottoms E, all arranged, combined, and operating substantially as herein shown and described.

Witnessesz IVILLIAM GRIFFITH, JB.

J H. FIsTER, y MORGAN REED.' 

